snow joke

4995 Views 35 Replies 11 Participants Last post by moustress, Dec 5, 2011

SarahC

Discussion Starter · Jan 8, 2010

I'm v. fed up of the white stuff.Work has been difficult.Looking after the mice has been difficult.I've used 20k more food.To cap it all I've fell over 3 times,unheard of since childhood.The dogs think its a new game.I also feel sorry for the birds

no end in sight either.

1 - 20 of 36 Posts

laoshu

· #2 · Jan 8, 2010

I know what you meen! i have not gone over yet (which is unheard of lol) but i nearly did 5 mins ago when i went out to the rodent shed... where i have been walking its turned into skating ring.
I am feeding the mice loads but i have found cheep cream crakers seem to be going down well, I have been putting one in each tub every other day and that helps a little.

SarahC

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 8, 2010

how much are cheap cream crackers.I used to use cheap digestives and rich tea but they aren't cheap now.

julieszoo

· #4 · Jan 8, 2010

Ugh I agree. The snow looks pretty but it's a pain in the arse to drive round here, and everything is eating like mad!

laoshu

· #5 · Jan 8, 2010

26p a packet at tesco, half a craker in each of your tubs could be done with £1.04 p i reckon

moustress

· #6 · Jan 9, 2010

What is a cream cracker? Inquiring minds like mine want to know! (It sounds yummy; now I need snackage....)

SarahC

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jan 9, 2010

a savory biscuit that is often eaten with a slice of cheese on top.

SarahC

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jan 9, 2010

mark has fell off the steps into the back garden this morning.I know it hurts but you have to laugh.I'm off out now to do the animals.I'm afraid I'm giving the cleaning out a miss.

laoshu

· #9 · Jan 9, 2010

The thought of people slipping over in this weather does me cringe but it also make me have a nervouse laugh..

I saw a man yesterday trying to walk in the snow with crutches and a platic thing on his leg.. made me wonder if he had done that slipping over, I bet the hospitals have had no end of breaks comming through the door.

I really dont know what would happen if i broke my leg or arm.. I am the only one that looks after the rodents (shed full) and snakes (room full) its the rodents that i would worry about more as they need constant attention.

WoodWitch

· #10 · Jan 9, 2010

Sorry you're all fed up with it, but.....I bloomin love it!

I know it's a pain, especially when you gotta drive.
I have to drive 15 mins every day down a country road to work. Not much fun admittedly, but seeing the countryside under a blanket of wintery white is so pretty.
Everything just looks so beautiful under snow, especially fresh fallen. I hate it when people walk in it and ruin it all.
It makes me feel all christmassy and puts a smile on my face.
I AM one of the few people I know that hasn't fallen over yet. Maybe I'll change my mind when I do

ian

· #11 · Jan 9, 2010

I have had my first victims claimed by the cold, I found all three of my adult abyssinians (including the two pregnant does) frozen solid. They obviously didnt make a very good nes, its odd though as all the others are doing well even the babies. Luckily I have 2 pinkies which are carrying the abyssinian gene as long as they survive the cold snap too.

I am having real issues trying to keep the waterbottles defrosted out in the garage too!

After Christmas there is absolutely no point in being cold, I hate it!!!

moustress

· #12 · Jan 9, 2010

:shock: What is, is, and what it does, too. No jokin'.

Cait

· #13 · Jan 9, 2010

I'm sorry to hear that Ian. Can you get a small heater with a thermostat? That would keep the air temp above freezing and would solve the water problem as well as the mice themselves.

ian

· #14 · Jan 9, 2010

I dont have any electricity out in the garage and its not close enough to the house to run out a cable unfortunately. I eep defrosting the bottles by popping them in a bucket of hot water every day, oddly not all of them freeze it seems to be really random. The mice have always coped well in the cold weather before so I was quite surprised to see the abyssinians had frozen.

Cait

· #15 · Jan 9, 2010

In that case trying to insulate might help. I don't know what your garage is like, but try to block any gaps where air might enter, thus transferring the heat from inside to the cold air outside. You can buy proper insulation but for now second hand bubblewrap or even rolled up material (old towels, t-shirts etc) might help to block the gaps.

julieszoo

· #16 · Jan 9, 2010

I don't routinely heat my shed either, its not been necessary for the cavies or rats. But I had noticed some of the mice looking out of condition and did wonder if they were not coping as well in the cold. So I have put their cages inside some of my empty hutches for extra protection and it seems to have done the trick. But if necessary, I do have an oil filled radiator I could use out there.

Ian - you can get greenhouse heaters which run off paraffin, or bottled propane, the latter can be pricey but a good investment

http://www.garden4less.co.uk/greenhouse ... 4wodpGwtrA

moustress

· #17 · Jan 9, 2010

I know it doesn't usually get this cold where you live, but freezing is predictable and temperature short of freezing can be fatal to meeces. I guess I don't understand why such a predictable thing was allowed to occur. Mousies enjoy the same range of temps as we humans, for the most part.

I'm trying not to be harsh....I know you must feel awful about loosing very those abys they're such a special variety.

ian

· #18 · Jan 10, 2010

moustress said:
I know it doesn't usually get this cold where you live, but freezing is predictable and temperature short of freezing can be fatal to meeces. I guess I don't understand why such a predictable thing was allowed to occur. Mousies enjoy the same range of temps as we humans, for the most part.

I'm trying not to be harsh....I know you must feel awful about loosing very those abys they're such a special variety.

Maybe you should have restrained from commenting at all in order to avoid being harsh, although it can be hard to keep our opinions to ourselves even when an opinion was not asked for.

WillowDragon

· #19 · Jan 10, 2010

My shed is now totally insulated and my mice seem to be doing okay, they are active and eating and drinking well (LOTS!)

I have been the same as Sarah, feeding more and cleaning out a little less... and when the meece have been making decent nests I have been cleaning around them to not disturb the warm too much.

I don't know if it really makes much of a difference, but my mice have been getting LOTS of oats in thier everyday feed (oats are 'warming' i've been told) and most of my breeding females are pregnant or nursing, cos it raises the body temp.

Willow xx

SarahC

Discussion Starter · #20 · Jan 10, 2010

I have no heating and one shed is insulated the other not.I don't find any difference in the condition of the animals in the two sheds.The non insulated is colder but the insulated is damper.I have a few that look a bit out of condition ,but nothing more.I never clean the nest area in cold weather, its fatal.I have bought a full bale of horse hay instead of the usual petshop stuff and a full bale of kennel bedding which is the same as the soft tissue hamster bedding but for dogs.I have stuffed the cages with bedding.I think the feeding is probably crucial.I'm feeding wild bird mainly but have also bought a sack of go cat and some plain mixer biscuits.It's cost a lot alas.In mild conditions I feed my mice every other day but in these extremes its not possible.I find rats don't cope so well,mine are all in the house now and will not be going out again,they've moved in for good.I wonder if it would be worth feeding the ones whose water bottles freeze some moist food instead Ian.I have given up with my ferret water bottles,I just make sure they get plenty of moist food and dry only once a week.Im going to check out Kellys cream cracker idea as well.

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